Invincible
by Dakyu
Summary: After Sesshomaru gets a visit from his father's spirit, he begins to ask a question that he thought he knew the answer to: what truly IS power? rated for language, SessKagu oneshot


Hey all, first one-shot fic on sesshy. Don't see enough on him, so I though I'd give it a shot.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu or any related characters, I'm only writing this fic because I'm a fan that has WAY too much free time, so if you try to sue, you're wasting your time, and being a royal pain in the a$, okay? Now that that's settled….

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What was power?

It was so simple a question, but why did it have to have so many answers to it? 50 years ago, when his father had still been alive, he would have done anything to seek abilities of destruction, but now…he wasn't so sure what it even WAS…

What was pride good for, if it could, indeed, kill a man?

Should power be used?

If so, then what for?

Golden eyes narrowed in frustration, the slitted pupils gazing up at the wondrous sunset. Surely, fate had never meant to be this cruel…

He, the great demon lord Sesshomaru, was reduced to this…this…

Nothing. There was no other word for the lowlife that he had now metamorphosized into.

The demon's gaze traveled over the landscape from his view on a small cliff. Happiness seemed to be everywhere in the gaiety of spring. The days were long and warm; everyone was friendly, and the nights cool with refreshing breezes…

Except his life was more of a torture than anyone could ever know…

He had seen through with Rin's aging: she was now of age to marry, and he had saw to it that she had been accepted into a village that would grant her a long, and happy life. When was it going to be? Two days? To that demon slayer's little brother… Kohaku! That was his name. Yes, she would be happy there.

That "village of happiness" had been none other than Kaede's, where Inuyasha and Kagome now resided.

It just didn't make sense to him… why should _he_ be the one to suffer in this life? He had put up with that dolt-headed Jakken for some time, but he had finally convinced the little toad to return to his own people so order could be restored. Ah-Uhn had been set free to do what he (they?) wished to do. Everything in his life had been set straight, hadn't it? Naraku had been killed not a week previous. The shikon jewel was in the care of Inuyasha and his wench, who could most likely take care of any minor demons that tried to take the little treasure from them…

Ah yes, treasure. That was one other thing that was on his mind. The smells that now filled his nose revealed that he would have a niece or nephew all too soon. Ah, how the family grew…

He looked down at his new left arm. Slaying a dragon was an easy task with tokijin, and slicing off its left arm was also fairly easy, it was just trying to find one that would be almost as nimble as his original hand that was difficult, though it had been found. The demon lord held it at eye level, examining it as if he had never seen it before. Though the olive green appendage only had three fingers, it was still almost as nimble as his original hand, and could take much more of a beating. He could practically use it as a shield now against most weapons, while using his right hand to wield the tokijin and…

Tenseiga. How dare his father leave such a piece of rubbish around for him… While his half-filth brother was given one of the most powerful weapons of all time, able to wield it with the utmost ease, and slay anything in his path.

Including a demon brother. Indeed, it was official now. He had lost to his brother in a fight, and had to relinquish his title of "lord of the western lands." The great Sesshomaru was now no more than a nobody, a weak outcast that no one wanted…

Just like his brother had been before him. Was this his fate? Just to keep everything in order until his younger dimwit of a brother had gotten stronger than him and could mess everything up? That his brother, who deserved no more than death, should be happy, and that the elder brother should just wither away into forgotten memory?

"WHY!" His fist connected with the ground, sending a flurry of small boulders and dust into the air. Now, he did the most shameful thing he had ever done in his life. He fell to his knees, suddenly unable to even support his light frame that he had so often leapt hundreds of feet in a single bound. His clawed hand opened into the soil, as if by some childish wish his sorrows could be released into the ground, and then…

He cried. He, the great lord Sesshomaru, reduced to an unwanted, crying, weak, pathetic, demon.

"Why do you cry?" The simplicity of the statement only summoned more tears, though what summoned even more was the fact that he recognized the voice.

"F…father?"

Sesshomaru's teary gaze lifted from the ground. In front of him stood his father, armor perfectly intact, no scars or scratches that he could see…

Because he was semi-transparent, and glowing blue. It was his spirit!

"But…how…?"

"I was gifted with another trip back to see my sons, and see how they have grown." A smile came to his lips.

"Then you have wasted your time. All that remains here is a half demon that has beaten his older brother, and reduced him to nothing." Sesshomaru didn't quite spit out the words, but it was enough to get a raised eyebrow from his dead father.

"Do you know why that is?"

"Yes…" The demon lord's voice was soft, and nearly inaudible to even demonic ears.

"Why?"

"Because he was a hanyou, and only a hanyou can truly use the Tetsaiga." He paused, his gaze going back to the ground. "Because you wished for him to be more powerful than I."

"Do you have something to protect?"

Sesshomaru's eyes snapped open. "Why do you ask that of me now? I have nothing left…I…"

"…don't see what is there in front of you."

"What?"

The elder demon squatted next to his son, setting a semi-transparent blue hand onto his shoulder, his eyes still glowing the brilliant gold that they had in life. "I never meant for one of you to be more powerful than the other."

"Then why—"

"—did I leave the Tessaiga with your brother, rather than yourself?"

"…yes…"

"There is no simple answer to that, Sesshomaru."

"Of course, you wish for me to figure it out on my own? Very well, I'll be dead soon anyway…"

"You pessimistic little _dork_."

"What?" What was he doing, he was… laughing? But why?

"Why do you laugh at your son on the verge of death?"

"You're not on the verge of death; I smell no blood on you. The reason why I laugh is because you still can't see what is right in front of you."

"And what would that be, hm?"

"Besides a funny spirit, not much, except the simplest and yet most complex thing that you will ever know."

"Humor? Death? I know those fully well, father…"

"No." He said simply. "What you felt in your heart while your mother was still alive."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes, the almighty force of love. Well I can assure you that there is no one that could fall in love with me right now…"

"Have you ever given anyone a chance?"

"Yes, indeed I--" He paused a moment, standing up slowly, his father meeting his slow pace. "Well, no."

"Have you ever thought about trying?"

"No. All that is left for the defeated is death, father. You know that."

"True."

Huh? "Then you agree that I should die?"

"You're giving up now?"

"What's to give up? I have nothing left."

"Or so you'd think."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "I des_pise_ guessing games, father."

"Oh yes, I remember how you used to hate them so much because you could never guess the answer correct." The elder youkai's shoulders shook slightly with silent laughter.

He recovered quickly enough, though, quickly regaining his cool composure. "You raised the mortal girl Rin, did you not?"

"Yes."

"Would you have considered her your mate?"

"NO!" Sesshomaru surprised even himself with his outburst. "I mean…no…"

"Then as a daughter."

"She was nothing more than a follower of mine."

"Whom you protected with your life."

"Well yes, but—"

"Would you have done the same for Jakken?"

The younger demon's eyes closed in thought. A thought came of Jakken dressed as a cheerleader, jumping head over heals for him. "Go my lord! Go my lord!"

"No." He said in a tone of voice that was something in-between flatly and sarcastically.

"Do you think that she would ever forgive you if you missed her wedding day?"

"No, she wouldn't. But what kind of father am I? I raised her as…"

"A demon?"

"Somewhere along those lines, yes."

"A child is best raised with two parents, Sesshomaru. That is how you were raised, and how Rin should have been."

"She needs foster parents."

"Par_ent_. Singular."

"What? Me? I'm not meant to be a father…"

"What if the child was your own?"

"Father, what are you trying to imply here?"

To the ex-demon lord's surprise, his father merely shrugged. "Certain winds are delicate things, my son. They can carry the seeds of one generation to another, only to crash on a nearby mountain and to be scattered throughout time."

"What type of wind would that be, father?"

"A life."

Sesshomaru said nothing; turning his weary eyes towards the ever-darkening sunset.

"I gave you your sword to realize your true strength, my son."

"But my mere—"

"Not your physical strength. But your true strength; your true power. Facing the world is a difficult task when you are alone, but with someone at your side, the winds of change are much easier to handle."

"That would be exactly why you mated twice."

His father paid no attention to the comment. "Your sword can heal people, bring them back to life, but there is one thing that it can also do for you if you use it correctly."

"And what's that?"

"Give you happiness."

"And how can a sword help me find happiness?"

His father's silhouette began to fade. "Not the sword itself, but the way in which you use it." The tai-youkai paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, my time here is done. But remember this, Sesshomaru: only once a garden has accepted every presence within its walls, every weed and flower alike, can it grow into the forest it is destined to be."

"I'm no garden father, you know that."

A simple smile greeted his statement. "I know, you've always been a free seed on the winds, waiting for a place to plant. Farewell my son, we'll meet again someday."

"No wait! Father! Don't—"

The blue wisps of color that had taken shape as his father dissipated to the winds, now an empty nothingness as the warm colors of the day fell below the horizon, the tongues of light on the clouds disappearing with them.

Sesshomaru stared at his sword for a moment. "Can this really give me happiness in my pathetic state?" He drew it, the reflecting starlight from the east already giving it a slight glow. No wait, it was glowing because….

The wind… that's what his father had meant…

Sesshomaru dashed off in the direction that the sword was pulling him. He just prayed that he wasn't too late…

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Pain. The difference between life and death is that death relieves that pain that one cannot overcome. It was salvation, it was relief, it was…

Taking a HELL of a long time to get here.

The wind sorceress rapped her fingers weakly on the riverbank, almost with impatience. "Why couldn't Naraku have killed me quickly?" Kagura's pupil-less eyes opened, drinking in the surroundings of her deathbed. It was a nice day, though. It would have been something that she would have enjoyed…if it hadn't been for that bastard Naraku. He had created her, enslaved her, kept her as his damned PET. And when he had died, her heart had been returned to her, but in pieces…

She put a hand to her chest, feeling the irregular beat. Light-headedness, headaches, and overall pain were all that she could feel now.

Damn it, why didn't it come?

Kagura's gaze lifted, trying to see anyone around. If Sesshomaru were here, he could heal her, though what would make him do so was beyond her. He was cold and heartless, incapable of anything else but power-seeking. And he was lord of the western lands, how could anyone possibly…

Wait, why was she thinking of THAT, of all things? She shook her head, unsuccessfully trying to shake the wide array of blurry vision and unwanted thoughts out of her head. Suddenly feeling weak, her head fell to the sand once more. Who would want her in that way anyway? She was just a useless bitch who was about to die.

The vision around her started to cloud, darkness brimming the edges of her vision. Finally, it was coming, she thought. She'd soon be rid of this pain.

Buh-bump….

Buh-bump….

Buh-bump….

Kagura's eyes opened, the hand on her chest beginning to vibrate to the steady heartbeat. What was this? Is this what heaven was like: just like another world without the pains of earth?

"Welcome back, Kagura."

Her gaze shot towards the sound of the voice, who was standing no more than two feet away from her. "Se…Sesshomaru?"

Her eyes looked at the hand offered to her, then up to his golden eyes. "Why are you here?"

"I was just informed by someone that the winds of change are much easier to face when you're not alone." Was that…a smile?

"I would think it would." She said softly, contemplating what he was saying to her without words.

The wind sorceress took the outstretched hand, stumbling when she came to her feet. The dog demon lord was there in an instant, catching her bridal style.

A deep blush came to her features, though she was smiling, her red eyes glinting with something that he had never seen in them before.

Hope. He, the rejected demon lord of the western lands, had given another being hope.

Another small smile came to his face as he looked up to the sky. A strong breeze rippled through his hair, sending the silver locks waving.

At that moment, he could have cared less what true power really was. He could have cared less about his defeat by Inuyasha. He could have cared less if the world was about to end.

He had never felt more invincible.

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Whew! First one-shot with Sesshomaru in it. Good/bad/horrible? I really need to know, so R&R people!

Dakyu


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